Intracluster Ion Molecule Reactions Following the Generation of Mg(+) Within Polar Clusters

In this work we investigated the intracluster ion molecule reactions following the generation of Mg(+) within the polar clusters (water, methanol, ether and acetonitrile), using time of flight mass spectrometry. In the case of Mg(+)/water and Mg(+)/methanol, dehydrogenation reactions are observed after the addition of five molecules. However, no dehydrogenation reactions are observed in the case of Mg(+)/ether or Mg(+)/acetonitrile clusters. This confirms the role of the H atom in (O–H) in the dehydrogenation reaction, and rules out any contribution from the H atom in the CH(3) group. In addition, the magic numbers in the time of flight (TOF) mass spectra of the Mg(+)X(n) clusters (X = H(2)O, CH(3)OH, CH(3)OCH(3) and CH(3)CN) have been investigated. Finally, the role of ground electronic magnesium ion Mg(+)((2)S(1/2)), and excited electronic magnesium ion Mg(+)((2)P(1/2)) in the dehydrogenation reaction were investigated using Ion Mobility Mass spectrometry. The results offer direct evidence confirming the absence of the electronically excited, Mg(+)((2)P(1/2)).